Meter-box.



. IVI. LOFION.

I METERBOX. APPLICATION FILED lMAY 25, 1914.

Patented Nov. 14,'1916.

'curr-fan sra'ras PATENT onirica.

HERBERT M. L'oFT'oN, or CHATTANOOGA, 'rEivivEssnE METER-BOX.

' To all whom t may concern: l p

Be' it known thatlI, HERBERT M. LOFTON,

.' citi'zen of the UnitedV States,- and resident of Chattanooga, county of Hamilton, and' State vof Tennessee, have invented an Improvement in Meter-Boxes, of which ythe following is a specification.

My invention has for`its object certain i improvements in meter box installation emsaid casing.

bodying the casing structure, -and also the means for supporting the nieter in an elevated relation in respect to the. bottomyof In this respect I -provide a concrete ,or non-metallic casing 4 adapted -to be made in various heights to suit the di,s-. .tance of the water pipes below the,pave.

ments, the construction being such that the concrete casings may be made at the place of installation to avoid the cost of freight and transportation charges to a large extent; and moreoverxpto provide an indestructible i 'form `of casing of .non-metallic material .surmounted with a metallic top'and a sealing lid or cover of 'a character which will prevent its easy removal. My'object is also. to so form the meter box that the lower portion, preferably of refrac tory or non-corrodiblematerial, vshall support a meter chamber, preferably of metal,

in which'the meter is'installed, said-charinber being sufficiently nea'r the pavementjthat the meter may be read and it may be reached with the hands when necessary for adjustment; and also that the meter may be sup- '.porte'd greatly above the bottom of the casing where-connection is made with` the water' mains, whereby it is' not liable to injury by accumulations of water and dirt. I

vMy object is further, 4to provide a' construction of meter box in Which the meter is inclosed in a chamber arranged at a sufiicient depth below the street to' prevent freezing while' well above the dampl lowerportion of the box where the connection is made with thethe street and house Water mains leading into the box, andl said meter further shielded from exposure to cold by a cover, preferably formed of a non-conductor of heat arranged above the meter chamber and constituting the bottom of a dead air space or upper chamber located between the meter chamber and the street.

My improvements are y fully 'described'.

' hereinafter and more particularly ldefined in the claims. .These Aimprovements will be specication'ofrtters Patent.

Application-filed Mayi, 1914.. Serial No. 840,689.

better understood by 'reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure l 1s a sectional elevation of a meter box and casing embodying myv improvements; Fig. 2 is 'a plan view of the same; Fig.

3 is a, sectional plan view` ofv a' portion of the locking devices of the top or cover plate; Fig. 4 isy a perspective view of a key for unlocking the cover plate;,and Fig. 5'is a sectional elevation. showing a modied construction at the top of the meter box.

Patented Nov. ia, 1916.

eov

"2 1s al cast metal box, inwardly flanged i at thetop as at 10 and constituting the meter chamber. lThis box 2 rests upon an annular base plate 3 having annular vflanges 7 and 8,

the former extending downward and the latter upward and centralizing the 'box- 2 upon the-base. This base rests upon the upper end of `a vertical tubular part 4 formed preferably of concrete. orterra-cotta which is both light and cheap, said tubular part providing a vertical chamber 6 below the meter chamber. When' this tubular part is made of refractoryv or non-,corrodible material, such as terra-'cotta or concrete, I prefer to form itwith one or more circumferential grooves 5 which act as guides for fracturing the height of the meter box as -a whole.

.Thesegrooves 5 are preferably formed upon the Iouter side. By splitting loill the lower portion on the line of one ofthe grooves 5,

vthe tubular part-When it is desired to reduce the exact height ofthe meter box structure as af whole may be varied to suit the, distance of level.

Resting upon the flange 10 o fl the top'bf the water main below the street- .the box 2 is the upper tubular 'section`12,

'this being centralized .bythe constrlictior'iy of the metal flange part 11 of the cast box structure 2. I may form this section 12 of concrete or other refractory material, as shown in Fig: l, or of, metal'as indicated in Fig. i

5, in which a portion only ,is shown at 12a. This section 12 isA relatively short fand.

reaches from the pavement to the box '2, a

ing the cap bushing of metal over the top of the concrete box and thoroughly .embedding the same therein to rigidly secure the said cap bushing to the concrete, not only plurality of vertical grooves 14 in its interior side walls, the said grooves being preferably arranged :in pairs diametrically opposite each other. The upper part of the cap bushing extends 'radially over the concrete, so as to fully protect the same and 1 providean annula'rarecess'for receiving the .gio

cover plate 15. This cover plate 15 is flanged on its under side, and said flanges are extended downwardly as at 18- and fit into the vert-ical grooves 14a of the bushing. By means .of this construction, and more particularly in respect to the d'eep flanges 18 and the great vertical length of the grooves 14a, in which the flanges fit, it will be evident that the cover plate cannot be tilted upwardv and thereby be displaced from its position, as would be the case if there were no vdeep flanges employed. .By the construction here shown, it will be essential in removing the cover plate to bodily lift it vertically for a considerabledistance, that is a distance approximately equal to the depth of the flanges 13, because the'se flanges are locked in the grooves whenever attempt is made. to tilt the cover plate. Because of thisrneceasity of great vertical liftingof the cover plate to remove it for providing access to the meter box, it is evident that no one without the proper tools willbeable to remove the cover to tamper with the meter. 1

If the expense of installation is not required to be too low, I prefer to provide the cover plate 15 with locking devices, such as are clearly shownin the drawings. 19 are two bolts guided on the under side of the cover plate and spring pressed outward by the springs 20. `The inner ends of the bolts are arranged at right angles as at 22 (Figs. 2 and 3), so as to lie parallel, 0n4

opposite sides of the key slot 23.v These ends 22 are guided in a key chamber 25 having the long key slot 23 at the top and a centering hole 24 at the bottom. The key is shown in Fig..`4, and consists-of the shank 27 having the wings 2'9 and axial end bearing 28. When thiskey is pushed through the key slot, the wings pass between the ends 22 of the bolts and the lower axial end 28 centers in the hole 24. Upon turning the key, the ends 22 of the bolts are moved apart and the bolts withdrawn. The shoulders 26-in the key chamber 25 limitthero- ,tation of the key when the bolts are fully:

withdrawn. The ends ofthe bolts may enter i a handle 147 by which'to lift it when `access is required to 'the box chamber 2 in which the meter 31 is located. Between thiscover 16 and the cover plate 15 is the chamber 13 which acts as a dead air space and prevents circulation of cold air down -through the meter chamber 2. rI`he depth of this chamber 13 should preferably be such' that the meter 31 may be read or reached 'fromwthe street and -without getting down into the meter box structure, I have shown the meter box as-circular in plan, but I do not restrict myself to this shape.

32 is the water supply pipe or street nain and 33 is the house main; thesepipes enter through the lbottom of the ,tubular part 6 of the casing and extend upward to theme` ter chamber 2. In this chamber2 the meter 31 may be supported inany suitableman-` ner and have its ports in communication with the upper ends of the respective pipes 32 and 33. In the preferred formthis connection and support of the'meter is a's fol- 'The' meter is detachably connected in practice, so as to be replaced or removed, but 1 do. not in 'this application, make any claim Y to the particular means for -detachably clamping the' meter in place, as that forms the subject of another application. By hav- 'ing the pipes 32 and 33 extended upward, they provide great llexibilitywhereby the upper end 'of `the pipe 33 may be moved slightly toward or fromthe pipe 32 to permit the proper clamping and unclampingY of the meter- 31. The part 37 having the clamping socket 41, is adjustable horizontally by means of its screw 38 and the rotatable nut 39, and is also provided with the union 35 for connection 4with thehouse main I33. The water on the inlet'side may lows: An annular' frame 3() v rests upon the A is removed. All of these features are, however, more fully set out in--said other application and will need no further description here.

1 have shown my improvements in the not limit myself to the details, as these mayv upon the other land the middle section hav-- jing a bottom flange portion, combined with Section, and downwardly extending 'pipes extending from below the .bottom section 4up form which I prefer in practice, but I do be` modified or varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described'my invention, what I claim a's new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, issj L .L 1 1. In a meter, box structure,va` tubular rigidly attached thereto at its upper end extending over the top and down upon the interior'and providing an annular beveled upper recess, in combination with a removable cover plate having a beveled perimeter fitting the annular bevel of the cap bushing having deep flanges extending downward within the bushing andfitting' the side walls' thereof.

A2. In a meter box, a tubular case made ofV three separable'sections superimposed one a cover plate for thetop of the uppersection, a device through which the water Hows wholly 'supported 'upon `the flangeportion,

ofA the middle section, and downwardly extending pipes extending from below thebot'- tom section up'lto and detachably connected with the device through which the water flows.

3. In aV meter box, a tubular case 'made Aof three separable sections superimposed one I upon the other and the middle section having a top inwardlydirected 'annular flange and also a bottom flange portion, combined with a cover plate for the. top of the upperl section, a cover` of heat non-conducting material .loosely resting upon the annular top flange of the middle section, a device through which the water flows wholly sup,

ported upon the flange portion of the middle to and detachably connected with the device through which the water flows.

4. A meter box, consisting of a vertical 4tubular casing structure having its top and bottom portions formed of refractory materia-l reinforced at the top by a-metallic rim part and having at the lower parta plurality of circumferential weakening grooves, combined with a removable'cover plate resting upon the reinforced upper rimv inwardly extending supports intermediate of its upper and lower` ends, comblned'with a 4mediate of its top and bottom, two vertical `nal diameter andformed of a bottom flange cover plate for the top, a device through which water flows wholly supported upon the inwardly extending supports whereby it is sustained by and within the Acase interpipes extending from below the case and up to the device through which water flows, and

. n .Separate unions between each pipe and the concrete case having a metallic cap bushing l .bular section, combined with a top cover" plate, and a removable cover between the top 80 tubular 'section and the meter box chamber.

' 8, A meter box .formed of a plurality of sections comprising-a middle metallic meter box chamber, a lower refractory tubular chamber supporting the meter' box chamber, and a toptubul'ar section, combined with a top metallic cover plate, and a removable cover/ of non-conducting material between the top tubular section and the vmeter box chamber.A Y I 9. In a meter box, a tubular casing coinprising a plurality of sectionsof which the top and bottom sections are of concrete and the middle section ofmetal vof larger interresting upon the top of the lower section and outwardly extending, and a v.body portion supported upon'the perimeter of the flange and havingv at its top an inwardly directed annular-:flange .upon vwhich the upper con- 10o crete section is supported.

l0. A meterY box, consisting of a chamber,

' combined lwith a separate tubular part of smaller diameter extending` down from the chamber and mechanically supporting it and open at the bottom for the water mains, an y. upper separate tubular partV supported by thechamberg a vcoverplate for the top of the .1 upper 'tubular part, and a cov'er be- -tween the chamber and the upper tubular part. ,A i 11. A meter box, consisting of a Vertical tubularstructure having a removable cover plate at the top, combined'with street and house mains extending into the bottom of the structure and projecting upward to a place greatly above the bottom and free from the vertical tubular structure, and a support for a device through which the waterflows having communication with the upper ends of the street and house mains and supported by the tubular structure independently of the u 12. In a meter box, a tubular casing com-- -prising a plurality of sections of which the 1 25 tion supported upon the perimeter .of the iangeand-having atits top an inwardly directed annular iian'ge upon which -the upper concrete section is supported, combined.

with a removable cover plate for the top of the top section, and a second coverof smaller diameter for the top of the middle section and resting upon theinwardly directed an?v nularjiange, a device through which vwater flows of larger diameter than the lower section and supported upon the bottomllange of the middle section 'and within said section, andupright pipesextending upward throughthe lower section and vdetachably i tubular box structure,` a support for a de-r connected with the device in the middlesection. i n 13. In a meter box, ,the combination of the vice `through which the water flows, a removable cover plateor the box having a A`key chamber, and locking means for the cover plato consisting of two bolts extend* ing in opposite directions-and having transverse ends extending into the keychamber,

two bolts extending in opposite dirctlonsv springs to force the bolts outward, and a key having opposite wings for respectively acting upon the transverse ends of the bolts to and having transverse ends extending into the key chamber and parallelto and on opypositefsides ofthe key slot, springs to force.

the bolts" outward, and a key having opposite wings for respectively acting upon the transverse ends of I the bolts to Withdraw them against the action o the springs, the

construction beingsuch that the key cannot be withdrawn without putting the bolts into locking positions. l

15', In' a' meter box, acase open at top and ,bottom and having an inwardly directed supporting part at a great distance from both the'topand bottom, a removable cover plate for the top, a device through which.

water flows wholly supported upon the inwardly directed supporting part, y water mains having upwardly extending ends leading up to and detachably connected to the device through which ythe water flows and Said pipes suspended thereby. y

16. In a street' meter box, a tubular nonmetallic bottom section, combined with a cast metal section resting. upon the top of the non-metallic bottom section, two lcovers at a distance apart the upper one at the level of the street' and the lower one supported directly by the cast metal section, water mains extending vertically upward into the lower section, and a device through which water flows arranged below the lower of the covers and well above the-bottom of the lower section' and in communicationwith the upper ends of the vertical pipes.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand. y

HERBERT M. Lor'roN.

Vlitnesses W. J. DODGE, L. S. MoCULLoHs, 

